Mayor fears maternity unit will die
Thursday, 9.50am - MAYOR of Grantham Ray Wootten has spoken of his fear for the future of maternity services at Grantham Hospital.
Thursday, 9.50am - MAYOR of Grantham Ray Wootten has spoken of his fear for the future of maternity services at Grantham Hospital.Mayor Wootten, councillor for the St. Wulfram's ward, has branded the current situation whereby many expectant mothers are forced to travel to Lincoln to give birth as "scandalous".
He wrote to United Lincolnshire Hospital bosses to enquire about the future of the hospital's maternity unit and was told, "we wish to see maternity services continue in Grantham".
However, Coun Wootten remains unconvinced and fears hospital bosses will look to close the unit in the future.
He said: "I am concerned about the maternity unit because I can see them eventually trying to close it down.
"I want every pregnant woman in Grantham to use Grantham Hospital. It is absolutely disgraceful if they have to go anywhere else.
"The problem is they are setting so many different criteria that means unless the births are straight forward then they have to be moved."
The maternity unit at Grantham Hospital is now led by midwives rather than consultants which means it is only capable of accepting 'low risk' births.
The unit was set a target of 600 births over two years up until April 2010 to keep the services viable.
However, last year less than 200 births were recorded at Grantham Hospital.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust work on a national 'payment by results' system which means they only earn income to pay for the service from each birth
The hospital's annual general meeting will be held on July 28 where members of the public can put their questions to hospital bosses.
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Tuesday 16 March 2010
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